CV's and Applications

Your CV

Your CV is your own personal advert or sales document and its function is to get you an interview. It must capture the employers’ imagination and give them a picture of you and how you suit the role they are recruiting for.

We run CV clinics in the atrium twice a week throughout term time where you can meet a Careers Adviser and get feedback on your CV.

Top 10 Tips

1. 20 Seconds: You have less than 20 seconds to make a positive impression and have your CV land in the yes pile!

2. Top half of your CV – Make me want to meet you! If you don’t grab their attention half way down page 1 you won’t be getting an interview so use this space wisely

3. Target the CV: Don’t send the same generic CV to every job you apply for. Targeting your CV to the job spec is critical. No two jobs are the same and no two CVs should be identical either – CVs need to be tailored specifically to each role you apply for.

4. Will adding this information encourage them to interview me? When deciding what to include or leave out ask yourself will including it encourage or discourage them to interview me?

5. Action verbs: Use action verbs at the beginning of a bullet point to create powerful accomplishment statements.

6.Bullet points: Bullet points are easier to read than large paragraphs of text therefore increasing your chances of getting selected for interview.